Sugar and Spice
by Vague Notion
Summary: The Candy Kingdom is healthy and happy. The same can't be said for the Spice Kingdom, but that won't stop the Spice King from stealing something very special from the Candy Kingdom to make his army stronger. After all, if there's one thing in Gumball's life that is consistently inconsistent, it's unplanned trouble. Gumball/Marshall Lee, info inside.
1. In which the story begins

**Sugar and Spice**

**Summary: **The Candy Kingdom is healthy and happy. The same can't be said for the Spice Kingdom, but that won't stop the Salt King from stealing something very special from the Candy Kingdom to make his army stronger. After all, if there's one thing in Gumball's life that is consistently inconsistent, it's unplanned trouble.

**Warnings:** Violence, language, one-sided romantic interest. (If that even needs a warning.)

**Pairings: **Prince Gumball/Marshal Lee, one-sided OC/Gumball.

**Chapter One – In Which the Story Begins**

"Success!"

Prince Gumball lifted the beaker up before him and squinted at the clear substance with a grin on his face. The fluid was perfect—no bubbles, no speckles, no discoloration. Just smooth perfection. It had taken weeks to complete, and there was always the sensitive matter of asking Fionna for another blood sample when the old ones became too clotted and congealed, but he had finished at last.

"It's done," the girl is question asked, leaning forward on her barstool and setting BMO down on her lap. The small gamebot released an exhausted sigh.

"Yes, it matches the sample you gave me perfectly."

"That's awesome, Peeg! It's hard to believe you're finally done." Fionna stood, setting BMO down on the floor beside her. "With your, um… What's-it."

"Hypertonic saline solution," Gumball offered with a proud smile. "It'll go right along with the supplemental blood samples that I've created for my own people, in the hospital here."

Fionna leaned in and stared at it closely, frowning. "But it looks like water. My blood is red."

Gumball chuckled. "You've been sitting in on all these late-night sessions and you didn't think to inquire about that before now?"

Fionna blushed a bit, refocusing her attention on whatever was in the opposite direction of Gumball. "Well, you know, I figured it would change colors… And stuff."

"It's alright, Fionna. The color isn't what matters, it's what's in the solution that counts. If you ever lose a lot of blood, this will help you get back on your feet faster."

"So it's… blood?"

"Fake blood," Gumball confirmed, settling the beaker back down on the counter. "I'll have Peppermint Maid siphon it into several smaller containers and store it properly. But _I_ need sleep."

Fionna stood and picked BMO up as Gumball untied his white apron and return it to the supplies closet beside his goggles. They crossed the room together without a word and turned off the lights to the laboratory carefully, leaving only one on in the far back, where Gumball left the solution. As they started down the hallway of the candy palace, Gumball and Fionna exchanged a yawn.

"Would you like a lift home, Fionna? I could arrange a carriage."

The girl smiled and shook her head. "No thanks, man. Cake'll probably have a lot of energy left over. She's always pretty active at night."

Gumball yawned once more, hiding it behind his hand as he walked. "I could give you another Sugar Boost, if you think you'll need it."

They reached a large hall, empty and quiet now that the residents of the palace were all asleep. On the far side of the room were huge floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the immaculate palace gardens, a view Gumball was very proud of. Through the glass, they could see a winding black shape shift about over the roses, accompanied by the sound of a familiar laugh.

"Cake and MoChro sure are night owls," Fionna sighed. "I think I'll take you up on that Sugar Boost."

Gumball gave her a knowing smile and reached into his pocket, handing her a small wrapped candy. Fionna took it quickly, unwrapping it without hesitation and popping the pink sphere into her mouth. "Thanks man. I don't know how you'd get any work done without these things."

The prince shrugged. "They're definitely one of my better inventions. Without them, I'm exhausted by eight or nine."

Fionna looked at him incredulously. "Eight or nine? Man, you're a lightweight."

Gumball shrugged, returning her smile. "You'd think all the sugar flowing through my veins would keep me up all night."

Fionna paused by the French doors out to the garden, watching through the roses as Cake stretched into a shape similar to Lord Monochromicorn, long and winding. The two of them seemed to be dancing.

"Well… If you have sugar for blood, wouldn't that make your hyper-what's-it solution really easy to make? It took you days to finish it, didn't it?"

Gumball looked over at her, rubbing at the shadows that were forming beneath his eyes. "Well, it's a bit more complicated than just sugar. I mean, it's a sugar-based substance, but… You know, it sustains my life, so it's not _that_ simple."

Fionna nodded quickly, feeling the effects of the Sugar Boost fizzle to life. "But is it red, like mine?"

Gumball gave a thoughtful sigh. "It's a similar shade, yes. Which probably helps give my skin this pink hue. But… Have you ever bitten your tongue?"

Fionna nodded. "Yeah, loads of times," she said, sounding oddly proud. A small knowing grin found its way onto Gumballs face as he opened the doors out to the garden, stepping into the cool night air.

"Well, I've had the misfortune of biting my tongue as well. It's sort of… This might sound strange, but it's a sour strawberry taste. Very unpleasant."

"Oh," Fionna mused, considering this as she hooked her thumbs around her backpack straps. "Mine tastes salty."

Gumball's eyes seemed to spark with tired interest, but before he could ask, Cake and MoChro had noticed them and stopped their dancing.

"There you are, girl," Cake said, shrinking down to her natural size and planting her paws on her hips. "Do you know how late it is?"

Fionna ignored the mothering tone. "Gumball finally finished the hyper-what's-it!"

"Hypertonic saline solution," Gumball corrected, but Cake and Fionna were already chattering away. Cake seemed plenty awake and wanted to hear about how the experiments went, and Fionna was clearly under the influence of the Sugar Boost Gumball had given her. He waved goodbye as the two adventurers started out of the garden. They couldn't seem to decide what to focus on: each other, the obligation to say goodbye, or what they would eat when they got back to the treehouse. Gumball stood in the comfort of the garden and watched them disappear, Monochromicorn silent and still beside him.

Once Fionna and Cake were out of sight, Gumball's shoulders slumped. He released a long, exhausted sigh and collapsed against MoChro's shoulder, leaning heavily on him. "I'm so tired," he heaved, hardly staying on his feet as MoChro pushed him back into a standing position. The black stallion stomped his hoof and scrapped it through the dirt several times, and Gumball gave his old friend a tired smile.

"I know, I'm being overly dramatic. But those Sugar Boosts just aren't working as well as they used to."

Gumball turned back toward the French doors he and Fionna had come out of, but stopped as MoChro started stomping and scraping again.

"Oh, a lift would be lovely, thank you," the candy prince sighed, turning and slowly climbing up onto MoChro's back. They lifted into the air and twisted up and around the palace, Gumball leaning sleepily against his friend's silver mane. "Where would I be without you," he muttered, watching as his balcony came into view.

The sun woke him, but only briefly. A few well-placed pillows allowed Gumball to effectively hide from the morning light, nestled beneath his blankets and out of sight. It was the end of the week, a precious time that meant rest. Gumball usually allowed himself a break, focusing on easily-solved domestic conflicts and the occasional diplomatic meeting with other kingdoms. (But he'd be the first to say, those meetings were more to hang out with friends than discuss policies.)

Another beautiful thing about the end of the week was his opportunity to sleep after sunrise, a few additional hours of warm, quiet comfort. No people to address, so papers to draft or sign. Just Gumball and his bed.

Except, if there's one thing in Gumball's life that is consistently inconsistent, its unplanned trouble. If he could chart the frequency of Ice Queen's escapades, or find a pattern in Marshal Lee's pranks, he'd at least be able to plan a means of defense. But it seemed to Gumball that his misfortunes didn't follow any set mathematical pattern. He had learned to brace against each wave as they came, and tried not to worry about the next problem that was waiting just around the corner.

This morning was no exception. Having successfully hidden himself from the sun, it took Peppermint Maid a minute to realize that the prince was still in bed. She bowed politely, even though the eighteen-year-old hadn't yet recognized her presence.

"Good morning, sire. I hate to wake you, but-"

From somewhere beneath the blankets, Gumball shifted and made something between a moan and a yawn. He forced himself into a sitting position, the blankets and pillows reluctantly falling away from him. "Mm," he answered, rubbing his eyes and looking blearily toward his faithful servant.

"I understand you had a late night in the laboratory, your highness, but we've had some startling reports from the outer limits of the kingdom, and-"

"Did you manage to store the hypertonic saline solution properly?"

Peppermint Maid shifted, giving off a sense of urgency that Gumball didn't yet recognize. "Of course, sire. I-"

"Would you do me a favor and schedule a meeting with Doctor Prince? While I'm thinking about it. If Monday works for him, that'd be best."

"Yes sir. But about the urgent reports, some of the patrol banana guards along the outer limits of the kingdom have spotted something very strange."

Gumball pressed his feet against the floor and stood, smoothing the old T-shirt that Marshal Lee had given him. "Strange how," the prince inquired, finally starting to catch on to the urgency in Peppermint Maid's tone.

"Well, they've been seeing creatures that are not native to this area, and they're not friendly. It would appear as though some kind of wolf has been eating at the sugar trees."

"Wolf?" Gumball turned toward her. "Why-wolves?"

"No, sir. The repots say they're large and dark, almost black. With red markings. And horns. And huge fangs."

Gumball reached down and placed his hand on Peppermint Maid's shoulder. She appeared to be working herself into a panic. As the prince's touch, she took a deep breath.

"Anything else in the reports," Gumball asked, standing upright again. Peppermint Maid nodded, watching as the prince moved toward the double doors of his walk-in closet.

"Yes, one more thing. The reports say that the wolves smelled… _spicy_, sir."

Gumball stopped, his shoulders rising with tension. His back was turned toward the loyal maid, so she couldn't see it, but Gumball was sure he had a sudden bolt of fear showing on his face.

"Are you alright, Prince?"

Catching a quick breath, Gumball rolled his shoulders and cleared his throat. "Yes," he answered, forcing a small smile on his face. "Yes, I'm alright. Thank you for letting me know, I'll look into it."

Before Peppermint Maid could properly reply, Gumball darted into his closet and shut the doors behind him. He stared at nothing in particular, listening to her fading footsteps, before the anxiety returned to his stomach.

He could handle ice. He was prepared for why-wolves, door lords, hell, he had even survived the Lich. But _spicy_ sent a special chill through his system. Not one of crippling fear, like the Lich gave him. Not one of tired irritation, like the Ice Queen. He wasn't able to place his finger on it, on what exactly he felt when he thought about it. But it wasn't pleasant.

And he certainly hoped it wasn't relevant now.

Please review! It lets me know if anyone is interested in an update. C:


	2. Vampires and magic don't mix

**Chapter Two – Vampires and Magic Don't Mix**

Marshal Lee knew a thing or two about Aaa. He could tell you when the best time to go to the dark forests was, or when there are the least amount of bees in Marshmallowy Mweadows. He knew the best way to steal change from the fountains in the Candy Kingdom. He knew how to fight off any beast that didn't already know to avoid him.

He was less learned in how to maintain healthy relationships with, shall we say, normal people. It wasn't his fault that they scared easily, or even that they were fun to scare. Why should a vampire king not do something fun just because it freaks other people out? Wasn't that the point of doing those things?

One such person that Marshal had always had a hard time figuring out was the candy prince. He was smart, and oddly charming, in one of those upper-class-yuppie kind of ways. The science junk had always seemed to set him apart from the rest of the candy kingdom, a place that Marshal had only looked at as a source of food up until he met the young prince. But Gumball was particular about things; he liked making lists and studying why things happened and how things worked. He didn't like to steal change from the fountains in his kingdom, either.

Still, Gumball had a good sense of humor underneath the all the royal grooming. Though their friendship had hit a few bumps throughout their knowing one another, Marshal felt comfortable about the sugared teen. Comfortable enough to pester him relentlessly, at least.

Saturday was no exception. He had spent most of the night floating around strumming on his bass guitar, and was restless and bored by sunrise. He had gone to see what Fionna was up to, but she and Cake had burned the midnight oil and weren't interested in goofing around. Hungry for company, Marshal adjusted his umbrella and started toward the candy kingdom.

When he arrived, Gumball was in the royal gardens pruning. Marshal drifted over the wall and settled down in the shade of a cotton candy tree, watching silently and enjoying the pseudo company. He tried to focus his attention on the other people in the garden, the sugar cube butlers hustling around with flowers that needed repotting, but his eyes continued to drift back toward Gumball.

He was wearing cranberry-colored jeans and a rusty peach-colored hoodie. He seemed focused on his dead-heading, clipping away the brown, crispy rosebuds until each bush was perfect. Marshal must have watched him for twenty minutes, wishing that he had more exciting friends, before Peppermint Maid scurried out through a pair of open French doors and across the cobblestone patio toward the prince. Gumball seemed surprised to see her and paused in his work, and in doing so, turned and spotted Marshal beneath the tree.

While the maid began to flounder with her words, Gumball gave Marshal a surprised _what the glob are you doing skulking around over there_ look. The vampire king grinned, flashing a _rock on_ hand gesture, but something the maid said suddenly grabbed Gumball's attention. The princes' eyebrows jumped and he looked down at her quickly, appearing concerned. Marshal frowned and opened his umbrella, drifting into the sunlight to investigate.

"We're not sure what to make of it, your majesty, but all the trees in the western part of the forest are gone, and the banana guards say it smells like peppers and spike!"

"Any idea what may have caused this," Gumball asked, sounding like he already knew the answer. Peppermint Maid twiddled her fingers uneasily.

"Those wolves, sire. They're very tricky, we haven't been able to catch any."

Marshal eased down onto the grass beside the maid, who instinctively stepped away. He had sucked her red only once, but it appeared to be enough. "What's going on?"

The maid politely looked to the prince to answer, but Gumball was deep in thought. He was gently squeezing his lower lip, staring at the ground while Marshal waited for a response.

"I'll have to go investigate this for myself. If it's what I think it is, than we have to build up our defenses immediately."

"Dude, all I heard was 'wolves'. You're seriously not going to clue me in?"

Gumball turned toward him with the spark of an idea in his eyes. "I'll tell you on the way. You know the creatures of the forest better than anyone, don't you? You could tell me what it is."

"A wolf, apparently," Marshal Lee muttered, but Gumball was too busy pulling off his gardening gloves and muttering to himself. Something about why-wolves, but Marshal couldn't say for sure.

Two banana guards accompanied them clear out to the edge of the kingdom before clearing their throats and stopping abruptly. It was clear neither of them wanted to go any farther, and both Gumball and Marshal could see why.

A good three acres of cotton candy forest was missing. Jagged stumps and a few bare, collapsed trunks scattered the area, without any sign of life. The area was completely silent.

"Yeesh," Marshal muttered, a small amused grin pulling at his face. Gumball ignored it, stepping beyond the first few stumps cautiously. The remains of a bird's nest was scattered across the exposed forest floor, a few broken egg shells crunching beneath his boots.

"This is bad," he muttered, his frown deepening. Turning back around, he found that both of the banana guards were quivering. "What is it?"

"Craig, Craig saw one, Craig saw," said one, leaning behind the other. Craig swallowed hard and looked across the field of stumps toward the rest of the forest.

"Big and black and red," he said, "huge teeth. Scary."

Gumball frowned. Banana guards were largely without strong emotion, and had always been prepared to defend the kingdom at any cost. If these two were frightened, Gumball would have to reevaluate his guesses as to what was going on.

"Listen, you two chumps stay here, alright? His Sugar High-ness and I will go see what we can see." Marshal, eager to ditch the umbrella (and admittedly curious about these monsters,) drifted forward until he was beside Gumball.

"No, no, too dangerous. Prince Gumball should return to palace, be safe."

"It's alright, gentlemen," Gumball said, waving his hand diplomatically. "It's my responsibility to keep the kingdom safe. Besides, in the name of ecological science, I'm compelled to figure out what's behind this."

Despite the reassuring tone, the banana guards looked unconvinced. "Not safe," Craig repeated, shaking his spear in the direction of the palace.

"I'll be fine," Gumball insisted, stepping farther into the fray of stumps and dying tree trunks. "Besides, I have the Vampire King with me. No one messes with the Vampire King."

"Only if they're lumping idiots," Marshal added, turning away and putting the banana guards out of his mind. "Besides, it's just some wolves. Wolves love me."

Gumball pushed his hands deeper into the pockets of his hoodie and sighed. "I don't understand. The forest was completely destroyed back there, but it looks perfectly fine now that we're inside. Why would they only eat the trees nearest the kingdom walls?"

"Beats me, dude," Marshal shrugged, drifting down from the canopy and turning around to face the sky. "But I can't find any little critters."

"I noticed that," Gumball frowned, glancing around. "Just insects and a few birds. It's like all the residents of the forest up and left."

"Maybe they're tired of the view."

"My kingdom is the view," Gumball shot back, throwing a practiced glare in Marshal's direction. The vampire smiled, happy to have gotten the reaction he wanted, and turned around to face forward.

"Think there's any big wolves stalking us right now," he asked with a malicious grin, "waiting to chomp down on a delicious candy prince?"

"Charming," Gumball deadpanned, lifting his left hand out of his pocket to check his GPS. Finding a bare wrist, he blinked and groaned, smacking his forehead.

"Oh, _apple snaps_, I left my GPS back in my room. You know the way around here, right?"

Marshal laughed. "Psh, have a little faith, candy butt. I know Aaa like the back of my guitar."

Gumball frowned and returned his hand to his pocket. They walked (and floated) in silence for a while, the forest growing thicker around them until Marshal had to land and stick close to Gumball just to move along the path. The forest was more of the same; still and quiet, with the exception of some bugs chirping and a few birds fluttering up above.

"This is boring," Marshal said, breaking the extended silence. "There's nothing here. I bet they're not even hiding in the woods."

"Just keep looking for some sign of them. Paw prints or fur that's been caught on a bush or something."

"What are you gunna do, take a plaster cast? This is a waste of time. Why not just send a huge army of those banana lumps through here and weed the wolves out?"

Gumball sighed and looked up at the canopy above. There was little if any light coming through. "Because all that foot traffic would destroy the forest floor, Marshal. This is a very unique ecosystem, I can't just send in guards to- _Wuagh!_"

While his attention was elsewhere, the toe of his boot hooked underneath a root, sending the prince flying forward. He stumbled, hitting the dirt hard on his hands and knees. The sudden stop knocked the small golden crown right off of Gumball's head, sending it bouncing across the hard dirt into a thick spinney of vines and roots.

"Glob damn it!" Gumball scrambled into a sitting position and checked his palms, but they were fine, minus the dirt. He cast a dark look over his shoulder at Marshal, who was laughing hard enough that he had floated back up into the air. Only when Gumball recognized the weight missing from his head did he suddenly look panicked.

"My crown," he gasped, feeling at his head to confirm that it was missing. He looked around desperately before a golden glint caught his eye. He leaned forward, peering into the thickness of the brush. About three-or-so feet in, his crown sat, shiny and innocent.

Gumball groaned and kneeled back down. He squinted in at his crown, dreading the thought of spiders hiding all around it. Still, a prince without a crown wasn't much of a prince. Taking deep breath, he reached in and weaved his arm carefully through the roots.

"You can stop laughing any time," he muttered, straining to find his crown with the tips of his fingers. Marshal had calmed down to a chuckle, finding it amusing to see the candy prince on his hands and knees in a dark, dirty forest. The situation was only humorous for a few more moments before the vampire began to feel a bit guilty.

"Here, okay, this is pathetic. Get up," Marshal sighed, coming back to the ground and pulling Gumball back by the shoulders. "You can't reach it with your short girly arms. I got this."

Gumball sat back on his ankles and frowned, brushing his arm off. Marshal landed with both feet on the ground and cleared his throat. He took a deep breath, and then twisted down into a smaller and smaller shape until he reached his bat form. He shook, his little wings stretching out casually. When he turned around, Gumball was chuckling.

"What," Marshal snapped, huffing. "You want my help?"

"Yes, of course. Sorry," Gumball answered with a smile. "Do go on."

Marshal squinted at him a moment before turning. "You'd be screwed without me, and you know it."

The hole that Gumball had reached into was the perfect size for Marshal in his bat form. He started forward confidently, hopping up over the roots and lifting the vines out of his way. His small feet made tiny stepping sounds each time he moved, which made Gumball chuckle again. Deeper into the bush Marshal went, before reaching the crown. It was only a few centimeters shorter than him.

"Alright, so, small problem. I can't carry this thing back out when I'm in bat form. But I'll push it close enough, and you can grab it, alright?"

"Sounds like a plan," Gumball agreed, his disembodied voice muffled through all the vines. Marshal climbed behind the crown and began to push it, rolling it steadily over the smaller roots. The light dimmed in the small tunnel as Gumball reached in again, his hand snaking toward Marshal carefully.

"Almost got it," Gumball muttered, finding the crown with the tips of his fingers and rolling it closer. "Come on, don't stop, I can feel it."

"Dude, wait," Marshal said suddenly, his voice hushed. Gumball paused.

"What? Why, just push it a little closer."

"No man, I can smell something. Can't you?"

Gumball frowned and pushed his shoulder against the wall of vines, trying to grab at his crown. "No, just… gimme my… _crown_, Marshal."

"Dude, seriously. It smells-"

Suddenly, Gumball picked up on the scent. He froze, leaning away from the bush very slowly. In his peripheral vision, he felt something large standing behind him.

"It smells spicy, dude," Marshal was saying. "Shit, hold on, lemme get out of this bush."

Slowly, Gumball sat up and turned his head to see over his shoulder. A large black shape had filled up the path behind them, a few splashes of red brightening its fur.

"Marsh," Gumball whispered, his voice hardly audible. He had gone completely rigid, his eyes wide with fear. He was distantly aware of something light and fuzzy hopping into his palm, the majority of his arm still in the bush.

"Oh glob," Gumball breathed, the last recognizable words spoken before the black thing lunged. Gumball jumped, getting half of his limb out of the bush before he felt the sharp pop of teeth sink into his upper arm. He twisted, rearing back around and facing the attacking beast. He could see a flash of yellow eyes, his arm stuck between strong jaws, before Marshal shoved Gumball's fingers apart and jumped forward. In a blur, the small bat knocked his forehead directly into the wolf's right eye, hard enough that it yowled and released the candy prince.

Gumball hit the ground. The first shocks of pain began to pulse through his arm as instinct took over, pushing him to his feet and down the trail. Marshal held onto the shoulder of Gumball's hoodie, with every intention of twisting into the shape of a giant monster. Big, scary, mean enough to frighten the beast away. Only, when he looked back at the wolf, it was already staring directly at him. Its yellow eyes flashed, a brightness that created blinding sunspots in Marshal's eyes, making him flinch. His pupils dilated, so suddenly that he gasped and covered his face with his bat wings. The flash of light was lost on Gumball, so hammered by adrenaline that all he could do was run. But Marshal got a face full of it.

Then, just as suddenly as it had appeared, the wolf was lost. Hidden from view by the overgrown forest. Marshal rubbed furiously at his eyes while desperately struggling to hold onto Gumball's hoodie. It wasn't until another six yards had been put behind them that Gumball reached up and grabbed Marshal.

"Can't you change back," he gasped desperately, bounding over a fallen tree.

"I'm trying, I—it did something to me, I can't!"

"What?!"

"Just keep running!"

Gumball jumped over a thick batch of sticky vines and pulled his hoodie's zipper a third of the way down. Marshal balled his wings around him as Gumball shoved him into the fabric.

"Hang on," the prince panted, glancing over his shoulder quickly. "I don't see it, but the tree line is only a little ways ahead!"

"Can't you run any faster?"

"Do I look like somebody who can run faster?!" Gumball snapped, wincing as the pain surrounding the bite doubled and tripled. "Just shut up!"

Suddenly, something joined the sound of Gumball's racing feet. A more fluid, agile set of footfalls filled the air, moving faster and crunching down on less dead foliage. Gumball made a small whimper between gulps of air, trying to outrun the feeling of doom that was encroaching on him.

"Help!" Gumball shouted, his voice carrying toward the tree line that had appeared a few dozen yards ahead of them. His cry was immediately answered by the sound of snapping jaws, the wolf gnashing at his heels. Gumball pumped his legs as fast as he could, the beast keeping a consistent distance behind them.

"Why can't I turn," Marshal asked no one in particular, peering around the zipper of Gumball's hoodie to try and see the beast. Gumball's concerns, however, lay elsewhere.

"Marshal I can't- can't keep running," he panted. He was moving slower than he had when he initially took off, but the wolf was still staying just behind him, cracking its jaws at his ankles. Breaths came quickly, unevenly. He wouldn't be able to keep it up.

The wolf banked left suddenly, bolting up alongside Gumball and redirecting its teeth toward his swinging arm. With a startled cry, Gumball stumbled to his right, baring away from the clearing he had been running toward. Marshal gripped either zipper and tried to find the wolf on Gumball's left side, but it had fallen behind him again.

"Dude, the clearing!"

"I know about the mathing clearing!" Gumball panted, wincing as the wolf's hot breath hit him through his jeans. Tears of raw panic pricked the corners of his eyes. "Marshal, _do something_!"

"I can't, I-"

Marshal only saw a flash of it. They broken into a clearing and natural light filled his field of vision, causing him to hiss and pull deeper into Gumball's jacket. But as he sank down, he could have sworn he saw a pole shoot out in front of them at knee-height.

If Gumball saw it, he didn't have time to stop. His shin collided with it hard, sending him forward into a harsh tumble through the clearing. Marshal held on for the first two twists before he flew out of Gumball's hoodie and landed in the shade a few feet away.

For several long seconds, everything was still. Marshal groaned and lifted his tiny paws up to his nose, sore to the touch and a little bloody. The sunspots from the wolf's eyes still limited his sight, but the clearing seemed perfectly empty. Just a small grassy break from a long stretch of trees.

"I think it's gone," he muttered, turning in the direction that Gumball had rolled. "You okay, dude?"

Several feet away, Gumball lay unmoving. Marshal stared at him for two beats before recognizing that he wasn't going to respond.

"Gumball?"

Marshal hopping up and fluttered over to the candy prince in a loopy manner. His wing ached each time he moved it. "Dude?"

Gumball lay on his side in the tall grass, his arms lying before him thoughtlessly. His breaths came in light gasps, his body still struggling to recover from the sudden sprint. A small bloody spot by his forehead was growing dark with a bruise.

"Oh, dirt," Marshal exhaled, hopping over the candy teen and pushing his paws against Gumball's cheek. "Come on man, snap out of it."

Footsteps. One, two, three, fast and light. Marshal only just turned around when a thick burlap sack swooped down around him, and everything went black.

And the plot thickens!

Please review! Let me know what you think will happen!


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